Rising Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen strengthened his stature by clinching a bronze medal in his maiden appearance at the World Championships 2021 in Spain, earlier this year. He went down fighting to India's No.1 male shuttler Kidambi Srikanth 17-21, 21-14, 21-17 in a thrilling three-game semi-final.

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However, his solid performance, has charted a path to conquer his future dreams. His childhood coach Vimal Kumar believes that Sen will be keen to make the most of the crucial year in 2022 -- which includes the Commonwealth Games (CWG) and Asian Games -- to further go on and book a direct berth for the Olympics in 2024 via rankings.

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"He (Lakshya Sen) should be aiming for Paris 2024. He has that mission and it every athlete should be aspiring for that. He understands what needs to be done and it is a process," Kumar told sportzpoint.com. 

"There is no need to postpone anything. The Olympic Games come every four years and it is not easy but there is no escape from such things. Prior to that there are many tournaments happening," he added.

The Olympian, who took Sen under his wings at nearly the age of 10, at the Prakash Padukone Academy also highlighted that the Almora-youngster will follow a training regime which suits his body with endurance a key aspect to work on.

"He has a very regimented program. It is not everyday that you train physically hard for six to eight hours. It varies. You need to know your body and right things," the Olympian said. 

"Taking care of the physical conditioning is very important. He needs to work on his strength and endurance and he knows that," he added. 

Furthermore, the appointment of two-time Olympic medallist (team event) Yoo Yung-sung, is bound to open up new dimensions in Sen's approach, believes the former national coach.

The South Korean was the first foreign coach of the Chinese national team and has the experience of training youngsters from his country under his belt.

"There will be different set of training routine. Everybody should know about what his body needs and it can take. It is important to be assessed. He has worked with the best of Chinese and South Korean players. We are hoping that he would be able to bring in new ideas," Kumar said.

And with a plan in place, Sen will look to further establish himself, as a key shuttler from the Indian contingent.

World Athletics has earlier announced that athletes should wear shoes with a uniform 20-millimeter sole thickness limit for all events. This rule will come into action on November 1st, 2024, marking a notable change in the actions of the athletes.

This rule has been induced to welcome fairness in the game. However, this has sparked controversies. While many athletes have accepted it, some are still in dilemmas about the rule.

Well, let's look at how the rule will impact the performance. However, for now, let's look at the present thickness.

Current Shoe Sole Thickness Rules in Athletics

Presently, there is no such uniformity of sole thickness. Thickness normally varies according to the events in which the athletes participate.

Suppose, in events where an athlete will have run more than 800 meters, shoes are allowed to have a sole up to 25 mm. However, when it comes to shorter distances, the maximum thickness has been limited to 20 mm.

For field events, including the high jump, athletes have a 20mm limit. But for the triple jump, athletes are allowed to wear shoes with soles up to 25mm.

These rules were implemented in January 2022, based on the technological advancements in shoes. However, from 1st November this year, there will be no distinction in sole thickness in different events.

Point to be noted: the rules for road events like marathons and race walks, which permit a 40mm sole thickness, will remain unchanged.

Why is World Athletics enforcing a 20mm sole limit?

The main motto of World Athletics is to ensure fairness. As a result of this, the federation has decided to apply the rule of a uniform 20mm limit to the sole.

In recent years, advances in shoe technology—particularly with thicker soles and carbon fiber plates—have sparked debates about whether these shoes offer athletes some unfair advantage.

Thus, World Athletics created its own Working Group on Athletic Shoes in 2020. The main task of this group is to analyze the impact of shoe technology on performance. They also draft regulations, ensuring that athletes are focusing more on skills and not technology.

The new rule was announced well in advance to give shoe manufacturers ample time to adapt their designs.

Athletes' Reactions to the 20mm Rule Change

Top athletes have had mixed reactions to the upcoming rule. Joshua Cheptegei, the Olympic and World Champion in the 10,000 meters, supports the change, describing it as "for the benefit of the sport."

He added that the thinner soles won’t necessarily lead to slower times, emphasizing that performance is often influenced by an athlete's mindset. Cheptegei also noted that recent shoe technology has aided recovery between training sessions, which could be impacted by the new regulations.

Meanwhile, Muktar Edris, a former two-time 5,000m World Champion, said that a thicker sole helps the athletes, providing them extra "energy" and "push." A reduced sole may hamper a regular action.

The Controversy Surrounding Shoe Technology

The controversy regarding shoe technology is nothing new. Before 2022, the track spikes had soles with thicknesses up to 30 mm.

During the Tokyo Olympics, legendary sprinter Usain Bolt brought this issue to the public, citing the unfair advantage an athlete may receive due to thicker boots. Not only that, but with the increased use of technologically advanced shoes, world records that looked unbreakable are at stake.

Karsten Warholm, the one who holds the World Record in 400m hurdles, also expressed his concern. After winning the gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics, he questioned the boots of the runner-up, Rai Benjamin.

Warholm made serious claims that Benjamin used thicker Nike soles that provided the later an unfair advantage. Warholm's remarks not only concerned the federation but drew attention to the fine line between technological innovation and "technological doping."

The Impact of Shoe Technology on Performance

Eliud Kipchoge, the first athlete who broke the two-hour marathon barrier in 2019, sparked controversies at his time as well. He used the Nike Alphafly, which featured thick soles and carbon plates. However, the nature of the event didn't let that record count. 

Later, World Athletics introduced a rule. It required the new shoes to be in the open market for at least four months prior to the competition. This rule also aspired to thwart athletes with exclusive shoe deals from gaining an unfair advantage.

Will the 20mm sole limit affect athlete performance?

It is not exactly negative, but the athletes will solely depend on their physical abilities and techniques. Yes, a few athletes do consider this to hurt their performance, but just like Cheptegei mentioned, mental resilience and training will play a crucial role in breaking records or achieving personal bests (PB).

Well, a reduced cushion in the sole will demand more energy from the athlete. Thus, athletes need to adjust their training regimes to adapt to the new rules.

World Athletics had mentioned clearly that they want to promote uniformity. They want the athletes to rely on their power and skills, not some technology beneath their feet, that will change and evolve with time. 

However, with shoe manufacturers rushing to adapt their designs, the real test will come when athletes compete under the new regulations in 2024.

Six-time world champion MC Mary Kom expressed disappointment over the poor performance of Indian boxers in the Paris Olympics 2024. She said that being a medal winner, it is natural that she feels bad.

Also Read: Cricket versus "Sports": A friend or a foe?

India had sent a team of six boxers to the Paris 2024, which included two men and four women. It also included Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Lovlina Borgohain and world champion Nikhat Zareen.

Mary Kom expressed her desire to re-enter professional boxing

Mary Kom expressed her desire to re-enter professional boxing, stating, "I am planning to make a comeback.I will try to make a comeback in pro-boxing." In the same event, she shared her happiness in participating in sports-promoting events but remained concerned about India's performance at the Olympics. 

'We will assess what needs to be done'

Mary Kom told IANS during the Army Sports Conclave, "Looking at the Olympics performance, its unfortunate that we didn’t win a medal in the 2024 Olympics. We will assess what needs to be done moving forward and what shouldn’t be done,"

India's boxing campaign was disappointing 

Lovlina (women's 75kg) missed out on a historic second medal at the Paris Olympics and lost to China's Li Qian in the quarterfinals. At the same time, in the men's 71 kg category, Nishant Dev had reached the quarter-finals, but he had to face defeat from Marco Verde of Mexico.

Two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen (women's 50kg), Commonwealth Games champion Amit Panghal (men's 51kg) and Preeti Pawar (women's 54kg) lost in the round of 16 in their respective categories. Jasmine Lamboria (women's 57 kg) was eliminated in the round of 32. Overall, India's Paris Olympics boxing campaign was disappointing.

Also Read: Neeraj Chopra’s best throws: Here are all the top throws by javelin ace Neeraj Chopra

"As a world champion and medallist myself, its natural to feel disappointed. We'll focus on more practice and hard work for the upcoming tournaments," Mary Kom added.

Only three boxers achieved olympic medal

Notably, so far only three Indian boxers have won medals in the Olympics – Vijender Singh (bronze in Beijing 2008), Mary Kom (bronze in London 2012) and Lovlina Borgohain (bronze in Tokyo 2020).

The contemporary Indian Badminton has so far gained the popularity in its country. However, certain issues need to be resolved. The biggest concern lies in the shuttlers facing a different environment in the non-Asian Countries. The major problem they face is the thick and slower court. 

This issue had made India short of many assured medals by whiskers. Be it peak Kidambi Srikanth missing his World Title in 2017 to Reddy-Shetty failing in big tournaments.

How do Indian and Asian Courts differ from European Courts?

The Asian Summers

Speaking about the weather in the Asian summers, it is humid. The Asian stadia provide full on air-conditioned courts for athletes. 

Air-conditioned rooms are marked favorable for shuttles, as the shuttles fly faster here. Here are the reasons:

• Lower air density: Air conditioning reduces temperature and humidity, resulting in denser air with fewer air molecules. This decrease in air resistance allows shuttlecocks to travel faster.
• Reduced air turbulence: Air conditioning systems circulate and filter the air, minimizing turbulence and air pockets that can slow down the shuttlecock.
• Consistent airflow: Air conditioning maintains a consistent airflow, reducing unpredictable air currents that can affect shuttlecock trajectory.
• Lower humidity: Dry air reduces the shuttlecock's drag coefficient, enabling it to fly faster.

This helps the athletes to maintain faster rallies and increased smashes with an attacking play. The also helps them to read the speed and work on their reaction time'

Added to this, the enhthralling supporters add more fuel to the pagddlers when tired.

European winters

European winters contradics the humid weather. Unlike the windy weather here, the air feels cal, slow and still. 

Slow and still air significantly impacts shuttlers' performance, technique, and strategy. it included different physical challenges along with rectified techniques and strategies.

The challanges a shuttler faces due to these conditions are as follows:

• Reduced shuttlecock speed: Slower reactions, less power.
• Increased drag: Shuttles dip and drop unexpectedly.
• Unpredictable trajectory: Difficulty judging distance and direction.
• Fatigue: Players expend more energy to generate power.

However, these are the "negetives" bigger stages like Olympics, offer.

Slow court, A Bane to the Shuttlers

Here are some instances when paddles were denied their crown due to the courts' behaviour.

• 2017 Kidambi Srikanth, a fast court specialist in India missed his Worlds Title in the slow Glaswegian conditions. The slow pitch defied from the title as the Korean Son Wan-ho defeated him in the quarterfinal.
• Tanvi Patri, a 13 year old rookie got defeated in Thailand's sluggish pitch last December. The thick air denied her speed, showing a red alert that she needs to gain some strength.
• And the most discussed duo- Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty. Right now, Reddy-Shetty is the finest doubles player in Indian Badminton periphery. Reddy still has his world fastest smash of 493km/hr. Even then, this duo cannot assert full power in slow court. And thus, they lost a few of the most serious and well-deserved titles.

Demands of Sluggish Pitches

Slow and still air significantly impacts shuttlers' performance, techniques, and strategies. Someone who was been trained on faster courts will find it difficult to adapt to the conditions if exposed.

The shuttles face certain physical changes that are listed below:

• Reduced shuttlecock speed: Slower reactions, less power.
• Increased drag: Shuttles dip and drop unexpectedly.
• Unpredictable trajectory: Difficulty judging distance and direction.
• Fatigue: Players expend more energy to generate power.

An athlete thus needs to make a few technical adjustments to combat the challenges.

• Slower stroke speed: Compensate for reduced shuttlecock speed.
• Increased wristwork: Generate power and control.
• Softer touches: Reduce shuttlecock's descent.
• More spin: Control shuttlecock trajectory.

The strategic changes include:

• Patient play: Waiting for opportunities to attack.
• Defensive focus: Exploiting opponents' struggles.
• Net play: Using precise, soft shots.
• Angle play: Creating sharp angles to disrupt opponents.

Effects on a few notable Shots:

1. Smashes: Less effective due to reduced power.
2. Clear shots: More difficult to execute.
3. Drops: Harder to control.

Slow Court? Not an Issue!

Not an old story when Lakshya Sen lost to Victor Axelsen in the Olympics semi-final. Slower Courts like that in Europe, especially in stages like Olympics demand patience and exquisite footwork, with strong defence. Lakshya had his defence in the checklist, but his footwork was still a sore in his throat. The Denmark giant was a set ahead when Lakshya fought but lost to nerves.

The bronze medal match had all these including his exposed injury in his smashing hand. The defence he has can aid in this condition but muscular opponents are still a challange to him.

The other veteran on court H.S. Pranoy is a clever lad with versatile techniques. He has got his techniques handy to combat the sluggishness. He thus not only won in Malaysia, but has a Worlds medal round his neck.

Two-time Olympic medalist P.V. Sindhu with her blazing power heft and work rate till 2019, defies these challanging conditions. The Olympic bronze medalist Saina Nehwal with her sturdy power smash overshadowed her limitations in court coverage capabilities.

Indian Approach

India has a love for stroke-making. Even though it is aesthetically pleasing, it question the  practicality in World Badminton.

With the October ticks in, the Europe session starts. The badminton camp then comes back and does a wide India-hoping, visiting smallcities playing number of tournaments! But how that that judge their efficiency in slow courts!

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The slow courts host a major number of important international tournaments. With India not getting enough time their will never expire the frustration of them not getting medals.

Rookies like Priyanshu Rajawat will depend more on strokeplays like his ancestor Srikant used todo. Not failing the later, Rajawat will succumb to frustrating errors, missing points. Srikant had Son Wan-ho, but Rajawat will have way more equipped opponents-  Kunlavut Vitidsarn and of Kodai Naraoka.

Its high time for Indian to spend more time on slow courts, count quality over quantity, in order to not miss any well deserved title in fututre, 

A lot of instances have seen cricket being differentiated from other sports. Especially, in South Asian countries, where cricket rules a fraternity, "sports" look doomed. An established "Cricket versus Sports" league is not a 2-month long tournament. It's an age-long duel with apparent results. But, is cricket guilty?

If we look back, Cricket was not as big as it is now. Restricted within the allies of a colonized country, cricket was just a time pass. 36 years to Independence, but a famous singer (Lata Mangeshkar) had to arrange a charity musical show to gather prize money for the 1983 World Cup Winners.

India gained some confidence since then. the biggest boost came after the win in the inaugurating T20 World Cup Win. 2007, 24the September, exactly 20 years back, the seed of the cash-rich league got sown. 

Indian Premier League, started in 2008, is the biggest source of money earning for BCCI. Keeping aside BCCI, the neighbouring cricketing nations have their cricket board more powerful than the other boards. But is this a fault of Cricket?

"Athletes" ignites the fire of "Cricket versus Sport" League

India won its second T20I World Cup after ending its 11 years of drought. The fans who were frustrated for a decade finally got one thing to celebrate. The Marine Drive got flooded with people. The Wankahde Stadium showed all its suppresed love to the team.

Felicitations came from their respective state governments. BCCI provided a huge lump of prize money to the players and the support staff.

But this has triggered athletes from different sports. Names like Chirag Shetty and Saina Nehwal came into the limelight criticizing the sport. When Shetty wanted equal recognition for India's win in the last Uber Cup, Saina went a step ahead. Her view was simple- people wouldn't even hate cricket even if she did so. But, why would someone hate cricket?

This is not a once or twice-told story. This widespread competition with cricket is not new. But is cricket a foe to other sports? Here are a few stories of "influence" and "idolization" in the recent past, not only from India but from neighbors too.

Sri Lanka Cricket funded CWG participating athletes.

The pre-2022 Commonwealth Games has seen an economic crisis in Sri Lanka. Not just economic, but the life on the island was distressed. The then Prime Minister Rajadhakshya fled from the country. Sri Lanka since its independence faced their record crisis.

The country fell short of food and fuel. The pandemic had already hit the Sports authorities. The crisis increased the hardships. They ran out of money. The situation was so pathetic that the boards couldn't manage transport to send the accessories to the athletes

At a point, the country thought of withdrawing its name from the Birmingham CWG. But at that very moment, Sri Lanka Cricket stepped in.

The board contributed 22 million Sri Lankan Rupees to the athletes participating. They hosted Australia and gathered the amount, despite the fears of the crowd ruining it.

Cricket Sri Lanka tried to cover all the funds. However, the athletes still had limited athleisure. CWG authorities too came in help for the athletes. Sri Lanka finished the CWG Campaign with four medals (one silver and three bronze).

Pakistan Cricket Board- the unsung sponsor for Arshad Nadeem

The Paris Olympics Gold medallist Arshad Nadeem was initially an age-group cricket player, His focus later shifted to javelin through which Pakistan got its first medal after 1992.

Arshad Nadeem registered a monstrous throw of 92.97 metres sealing the gold for his country. Earlier he won the silver at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, Budapest, with a throw of 87.82 meters. He gave Pakistan’s first-ever medal at the World Athletics Championships.

But what did Pakistan give him? ignorance! The Commonwealth champion earlier expressed that he has been using a javelin for the last 8 years. His bosom friend and admirer Neeraj Chopra from India tweeted, urging the Pakistan Government to buy Nadeem news javelins.

Nadeem hails from Punjab's Miyan Channu village. Struggling themselves, the villagers funded him for his Olympic campaign. Added, that it was the Pakistan Cricket Bard who sponsored him.

PCB also financed Nadeem and his coach Salman Fayyaz Butt's air tickets.

Read also: A Bronze costs just USD 100: Trembling Future of Pakistan Hockey Team

BCCI's baby steps for Olympians

Earlier BCCI secretary Jay Shah announced financial aid for the Olympians.BCCI granted Rs. 8.5 Crores (approximately $1.03 million) to the Indian Olympic Association for their Olympics campaign.

Recently a new NCA (National Cricket Academy) is near completion. The old existing facilities at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in the city center will be upgraded to a multi-sport training facility.

Apart from the cricketers, it will open doors for the Olympians too. NCA will have new facilities that will let them train there.

The new facilities will have World-Class Playing Grounds will have:

• 45 Practice Pitches: A variety of pitches to cater to different training needs.
• Indoor Cricket Facilities: For year-round practice and skill development.
• Olympic-Sized Swimming Pool: To aid in recovery and cross-training for athletes.
• State-of-the-Art Training and Recovery Facilities: Equipped with the latest sports science technology to help athletes maintain peak physical condition and recover efficiently from injuries.

Cricketer- "athlete" collaboration

When one section came forward criticizing the fame, the other one took it handy to make their own.

Mahi's influence

Speaking about Swapnil Kusale, he himself mentioned that he doesn't follow any other sport apart from shooting. But he follows Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Kusale, who is an Indian Railways employee is a ticket checker like Dhoni. It took him 12 years to feature in the Olympics. And take India's first ever 10m Rifle position 3 medal. The Asian Games Champion accepted that MS's calm personality helps him to stay calm in chaos.

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The Kohli aggression

One of the biggest heartbreak for any badminton fan was Lakshya Sen's exit from the Olympics without a medal. The Chinese Lee Zii Jia shattered Sen's bronze medal dream. 

But Sen's popularity is still unmatched in the sports arena. Even though he is "big," he still wants to "be the Virat Kohli of Indian badminton in coming years." In "The Ranveer Show" podcast he expressed his admiration for Kohli.

The other name that comes in the list is Nitesh Kumar. The Olympic Champion in the Men's Singles SL3 category is a Kohli fan. His winning celebration had some glimpses of Kohli's aggression.

But Nitesh's love for Kohli is not limited to celebrations. After succumbing to a deadly injury in Vizag, he started upgrading his badminton skills. Not only that, he delved himself into fitness, inspired by the 2013 version of Kohli.

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The Wall looks upon The Wall

Soon after retirement, Indian Men's Hockey team goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh was assigned to train the junior hockey team. The two-time Olympic Bronze medallist was delighted to get this role. he not only talked about the future prospects but did mentioned about Rahul Dravid.

"The Wall" of Indian Hockey looked upon "The Wall" of Indian Cricket when it came to coaching. The way Dravid devoted himself to training the cricketing juniors, Seejesh is looking forward to doing the same for his sports.

Read also: Hockey India decides to retire jersey No. 16 in honor of goalkeeper PR Sreejesh

Cricket is another sport

The 2028 Olympics will feature Cricket after 128 years. The brand value of Virat Kohli played a pivotal role in the addition of cricket. But as Sunil Chhetri, the Indian former captain of Indian Football once said, Cricket excelling is great for that country. Then, how does that justify other sports not getting the "love" cricket gets?

How does that justify Chirag Shetty repeatedly slipping down on the court, in the Olympics quarterfinal, having his partner Sattwikraj Rankireddy as the lone warrior? 

How does that justify the associations not getting enough funds and definitely investing to find talent?

How does that justify archers failing to read the wind in bigger stages?

It's an open-ended question. Is it cricket the enemy, or the system? Is cricket actually an enemy or a friend in need?

Indian badminton player Malvika Bansod continued her brilliant form and entered the Super 1000 quarter-finals for the first time by winning a tough match against her higher ranked opponent Kirsty Gilmour at the China Open 2024 in Changzhou on Thursday.

Also Read: India at Paralympics: Medals by every edition

Malvika Bansod, BWF ranking 43rd, toiled hard for one hour and five minutes before defeating two-time Commonwealth Games medalist and world number 25 Gilmour of Scotland 21-17 19-21 21-16 in the women's singles round-of-16 match.

Earlier defeated Paris Olympics bronze medalist

The 23-year-old player achieved this victory a day after defeating the Paris Olympics 2024 bronze medalist Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia. 

However, Malvika Bansod, the only Indian shuttler left in the competition, faces a tough challenge as she will face fourth seed and two-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in the last eight stage.

Although the Japanese shuttler has won both the matches against Malvika, the Indian shuttler came close to defeating  Yamaguchi and she is hopeful that she will be able to register victory this time.

Malvika's sensational performance in pre-quarterfinals

In the opening game against Gilmour, Malvika was down 11-5 at the break. The Indian shuttler brought down the deficit to two points at 16-14 and then won seven of the next eight points to go one game up in the contest. Gilmour, drew on her experience to mount a comeback and close a tight second game.

Malvika surged to an eight-point lead at 10-2 in the decider. She later extended her advantage to 20-11. Gilmour fought back with five consecutive points to make it 20-16 but the late fightback proved too little for Malvika, who comfortably sealed her spot in the quarter-finals.